Hat



L. J. WEISS June 28, 1960 HAT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 4. 1953 INVENTOR. LeoPcld J. We ss ATTOR NE) June 28, 1960 L. J. WEISS 2,943,186

HAT

Filed Sept. 4. 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. LGOPO Id J. we ls 5 BY W pail/W,

ATTORNEY HAT Leopold J. Weiss, Brooklyn, N.Y., assignor to Cornelius Weiss Company, Brooklyn, N.Y., a firm Filed Sept. 4, 1953, Ser. No. 378,587

3 Claims. (Cl. 240-60) This invention relates to improvements in articles of apparel, particularly headwear.

An object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved article of headwear, which is provided with novel constructional features including illumination means controllable by the wearer of the headwear.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved article of apparel, in the nature of headwear and'the like, in which there is a hat, with a crown portion thereof, surmounted by a source of illumination, and carrying a source of electrical energy for actuating the source of illumination, and wirezmeans forming a circuit including the sources of energy and illumination, so that theillumination means may be actuated at any time, upon closing of the switch means by the wearer, the switch means being interposed in the wire means and arranged for extension within convenient reach by the wearer.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved article of apparel in the nature of a hat and the like, which carries self contained therein or thereon, in inconspicuous concealed disposition, battery means forming a source of electrical energy for lighting the illuminating lamp or lamps of the hat, the battery means being concealed in a compartment within the hat crown, so as to be easily reached whenneeded for inserting or removing batteries.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved hat in which there is a lower crown body and an upper crown body, the lower body being readily fitted to the head of the wearer, and optionally including a visor secured to a forward portion thereof, and the upper body including a hollow casing or housing for containing the batteries, and having readily releasable fastening means for securing the upper body to the lower body while allowing them to be quickly and easily separated as desired, without the use of any special tools, the construction being quite compact and light in weight.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved self illuminating 'h'at, in which illuminating means extends into a transparent or translucent light housing or dome, from which rays of light may be cast'in any desired directions, by closing a switch carried on an extension cable, with added novel arrays of domes and cones with antennae of striking appearance, and which is inexpensive to manufacture and simple in design.

Theseand other objects and advantages of the invention will bec-ome apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, and in which,

Figure 1 is a front elevational'viewshowing one form of hat according to the invention.

Figure 2 is'a section-a1 elevational view taken substantially on plane 22 of Figure 1 'of the hat illustrated therein.

Figure 3 -is asectional 'elevational view on an enlarged 2 V V scale, in fragment, of a left middle portion of the structure shown in Figure 2. Figure 4 is a top plan view of the hat shown in :Eigure .2.

Figure 5 is a top plan view similar to that of Figure 4, the view being sectioned or broken out substantially on plane 5-5 of Figure 2, to illustrate the construction thereof.

Figure 6 is a sectional elevational view taken substantially on plane 6-,-6 of .Figure 2, and showing the'interior construction of the signaling switch of the device. the

parts being shown in switch-open position.

Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showingthe electrical conections of one .form of the illuminating means shown in Figures 2 and 5.

In connectionwith 'the design, construction and use of articles of apparel in the nature of hats and the like, his quite important that the hat be of novel appearance'and construction, and one which willjfit to the head of the wearer with the utmost of comfort. The present :invention discloses a novel article of headwear, which is not only novel in outward appearance and quite convenient and comfortable in use, but also which includes several unusual constructional features. n

In order to understand clearly. the nature of the .invention and the best means for carrying it out, referencemay now'be had tothe drawings in which like numerals idenote similar parts throughoutthe several views. :As shown, there is a hat crown or bodyjgenerally in dicated at it), and including upstanding side walls 12 which receive and interfit snugly with the head -.of .t-hew'earer, the chamber, 14 being thus made downwardly open as seen in Figure 2 for this purpose. A sweat-band 1 6 may beformed by upfolding the lower marginal portion or edge of the sidewalls .12 of the hat crown or body, :or a separate sweatband or lining 16 may be provided, (for integration by stitching, adhesion or otherwise to the interior of the walls 12 for the comfort and convenience and fit of the hat to the wearer. The chamber 14 is closed at the top by means of the integral ceiling or roofmem:

benor wall 18, which may be plane to protect theupper portion of chamber 14 and thus. the head'of the wearer.

A cap visor orpeak member-20,- having a curved-from edge 22, is secured in any suitable manner to the frontportion 24 or edge of the cap-crown, so as sto project therefrom in any desired manner over theeyes of the wearer, and stitching, adhesion or other fastening means may be employed therefor. A number of curved domes 26, formed of dome shapedplast-ic or other suitable :m-a-. terials, transparent .or translucent, and having-hollow in teriorchambers 28 for lightness in weight, maybe secured by their edges or flanges 30 to :the sides of the-hat crown or body 10, at regularly spaced intervals..,around the same as shown. If desired, illuminating means may be provi'ded inside each of these domes .also,:in additionto other;-il-

luminating means described herein,..such as byp-rnountingj incandescent lamps therein, or otherwise. The domesimay.

be secured in position by means of adhesives, .'or. clips, or other suitable meansmaybeprovided: v,

A cap upper crown body .generallyindicated; at 32,, is mounted on the upper surface .34; of the .hat :crownilfl, and'includes an upcurved body wal-l llowhichisupw smoothly convergent and .merges-intoihe radially wardly extending ceiling ordome portions38, which may:

erably integral therewith. also has a circumferentially extendinglower annular be defined by an upstanding ring or collartorvrim.4l),;pref,-

flange portion 42, which. lies directly upon the ruppensur-g face 34"of the roof member .ltlof the lower .cap ,cr own, 10, and has several downwardly QPBH-SOQKMSQIjIfQHIgIlC; recesses 44 formed therein, as seen best in Figure3, for

may be curved to define an interior chamber .14 to Thecap .upper crown body;

the reception of the upwardly extending prongs or bifurcations 46 of the flexible expansible rivet-like fastening members 48, which prongs extend upwardly from their enlarged head portion 50 through openings 52 formed through the roof member 18 of the lower hat crown 10, therebelow. As seen best in Figure 3, the socket recesses 44 in the flanges of the upper hat crown body 32, have cylindrical portions 54 communicating with enlarged bulge portions 56, so that the enlarged feet 58 on the bifurcations of the members 48 resiliently expand into the enlarged bulge portions 56, and thus firmly secure the upper crown body 32 to the lower crown body 10. Similarly, to remove the upper crown 32 from engagement with the lower crown 10, it is only necessary to pry the button members 48 downwardly from the wall 18 of the lower crown, which separates these members without need for use of any tools.

a As seen, the upper cnown 32 forms a dome defining an interior chamber 60 which is downwardly open according to a preferred form of the invention. The chamber 60 is provided with a floor member or wall 62, which may be circular in plan, to fit snugly in position as shown in Figure 2, and may be secured removably in such position by means of projections or lugs 64 carried by or integral with the inside of the wall 36, the beads or lugs 64 projecting only sufficiently to provide bearing support for the edges of the floor 62, and to allow the same to snap therepast upon insertion or removal of the fioor 62 from its shown position. According to a modified form of the invention, small notches may be cut in the margin of the edges of the floor 62, to allow passage past the lugs 64, the floor being then turned slightly so that the notches are displaced from the lugs, and thus the floor is supported thereon. One or more small pull handles 66 may be provided to aid in removal of floor 62.

A battery housing 68 is disposed inside the chamber 60, and may have a floorwall 70 carried by or integral with the floor wall 62, with upstanding side walls 72 and 74 carried by or integral with floor 70. Front and rear end walls 76 and 78, also carried by or integral with the floor 70, intersect at their edges with the side walls 72 and 74, to define a battery receiving chamber 80 for the reception of dry cell batteries such as 82'and 84. As seen best in Figures 2 and 5, the wall 78 may carry a bus strap of flexible resilient copper, brass or bronze, as at 86, for electrically interconnecting the negative terminal of battery 82 with the positive terminal of battery 84, where they are to be connected in series, thus giving about three volts available across the remaining terminals of the batteries, which connect with terminals 88 and 90 extending through openings formed in wall 76, and ultimately to wires 92 and 94.

A top platform wall or ceiling 96 fits securely onto the top of the battery housing 68, and may have depending edge flanges to efiect snap engagement with ribs or lugs projecting from the walls such as 72 and 74 of the battery housing. As seen best in Figure 2, a lamp socket 98 is mounted on the cover 96, so as to receive an incandescent lamp bulb 100 projecting thereabove. As seen best in Figure and the schematic diagram Figure 7, the terminal 88 is connected by wire 92 to one terminal of the socket 98, and the wire 102 is connected to the other terminal of the socket. Both wires 94 and 102 form a pair extending outwardly through an opening 104 in the wall 36 of the upper crown 32, and ultimately are connected to the terminals 106 and 108 inside the normally open switch housing 110. As shown best in Figure 6, the switch 110 includes a main housing defining a chamber 112 closed by a threaded cap member or collar 114. An insulating terminal block 116 has mounted thereon the two electrical terminals 106 and 108 which are con nectcd to wires 94 and 102 as shown. From the view it is seen that the terminal 108 may be made of highly resilient copper, bronze, or the like, or beryllium copper, so that it takes on the characteristics of a spring also, and

- 4 is normally spaced from the stationary terminal 106. It is also seen that the terminal 108 is curved, with its outer end portion bearing outwardly against the inner surface of the push button 118, the shank 120 of which is slidable in the opening 122 formed through cap 114. As a result, when the push button 118 is pressed inwardly, overcoming the resilient bias ofthe spring terminal 108, contact is effected between the terminals 108 and 106, closing the circuit, and energizing and illuminating the lamp bulb 100.

As seen best in Figures 1 and 2, the lamp bulb 100 extends upwardly through an opening 126 formed through the top portion 38 of the upper dome body 32, and is thus surrounded by an upstanding collar or ring 128, sufli-,

ciently large to allow free passage of the lamp bulb therethrough. A transparent lamp housing 130 is carried by or integral with the collar 128, and may be surmounted by a closingtop dome 132 secured to or integral with its upper end portion, and topped by a coiled wire antenna like construction or member 134.

It is thus clear that the wearer of the novel hat may cause rays of light to issue from the dome 130, as at 136, by pressing push button 118, thus closing the electrical circuit as seen in Figure 7. Upon release of such pressure, the switch opens automatically, and opens the circuit, extinguishing the light. For convenience, the wire pair 94 and 102 may be formed with an inherent coiling tendency, as at 138, so that it is normally quite short in apparent length, yet is easily pulled out to any desired length, for being reached by the hands of the wearer, with ease. Such modes of coiling wires are well known in the art, one method being to insert a light metal coiled spring as a part of the wire pair, and will not be otherwise described in detail. Another method is to encase the Wire pair in a continuous plastic coil of spiral plastic material, which has an inherent tendency to form a larger spiral coil, this being commonly used for protecting telephone receiver wires by giving them this inherent coiling effect. Where used here, such plastic material may be variously colored, to enhance the decorative eiiect.

As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4, the upper crown 32 may also carry a number of angularly projecting quasicones or domes 140, which may be hollow transparent or translucent plastic and formed with flanges 142 at their bases, for ready mounting on the surface of the crown 32 in angularly spaced disposition. These cones may have small ball tops 144 forming the bases for coiled antennas 146 projecting therefrom. The cones 140 may also be provided with lamps for illuminating them from inside, and connected to the batteries as shown, or may be separately energized and actuated.

The cap may be suitably ornamented in any desired manner, one example of which is shown in Figure 1, although I do not wish to be limited thereto, since other forms of such ornamentation may be used also.

Although I have described a preferred form of my invention in specific terms, it is understood that various changes may be made in size, shape, materials and arrangement without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

It will also be understood that by use of miniature dryv housing 110, which may be enlarged to accommodate the same. According to a modified form of the invention, where the domes 140 are not too small, they may be made to threadedly engage the dome 36, being easily removable to allow insertion of one or more batteries therein. Similarly, I do not wish to be restricted to use of the lower hat body 10 shown, since according to other modified forms of the invention, other hats, such as bean- I 5 ies, skull caps, sailor hats, yachting hats or the like are usable.

I claim:

1. An article of headwear comprising a lower hat body defining a recess to receive the head of the wearer, visor means carried by said lower hat body, at least one hollow side dome carried by said lower hat body on a side wall thereof, and comprising an upper ceiling wall closing said recess at the top, a smoothly upwardly convergent upper hat body carried by said upper ceiling wall and defining a downwardly open chamber therein, fastening means releasably securing said upper hat body to the said ceiling wall of said lower hat body, upstanding walls carried in said chamber and defining a battery housing,

closure wall means carried by said battery housing for 7 closing said battery housing chamber for containing batteries therein, electrodes for making contact with batteries when contained therein, lamp socket means carried by said battery housing closure wall means, a lamp carried by said lamp socket means, dome window means carried by said upper hat body and constructed and arranged to allow rays of light from said lamp to project therethrough outwardly of said dome window means, cable means interconnecting said battery electrodes and said lamp socket means, said cable means extending outwardly substantially from said upper hat body, normally open switch means carried by said cable means and interposed therein, for controlling the actuation of said lamp means, said switch means being arranged for being within reach of the hand of the user.

2. An article of headwear according to claim 1, where in said cable means is provided with spiral forming means for maintaining said cable means in a releasable spiral References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,206,356 Norton Nov. 28, 1916 2,131,617 Cowden Sept. 27, 1938 2,320,222 Crupi May 25; 1943 2,473,394 Scott June 14, 1949 2,501,006 Rothchild Mar. 21, 1950 2,593,188 Rikelman Apr. 15, 1952 2,640,980 1953 Prupis June 2, 

